J.D. Power, SurveyMonkey Find Automakers Not Making Progress in Persuading Consumers to Want Electric or Self-Driving Vehicles
COSTA MESA, Calif., Oct. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As auto manufacturers invest billions to bring self-driving vehicles to market and increase choice in battery-electric vehicles, many consumers still lack confidence in the technologies. According to the J.D. Power 2019 Q3 Mobility Confidence Index Study fueled by SurveyMonkey Audience,(SM) released today, the Mobility Confidence Index is 36 (on a 100-point scale) for self-driving vehicles and 55 for battery-electric vehicles--identical scores to three months ago.
"It was a little surprising to find consumer sentiment about self-driving vehicles and electrification has stayed flat, but it shows that consumers are really steadfast in their opinions about new mobility technologies right now, regardless of how close they are to being available for purchase," said Kristin Kolodge, Executive Director, Driver Interaction & Human Machine Interface Research at J.D. Power. "This isn't necessarily bad news for automakers; rather, it shows the areas where consumers need to be better-educated and gives manufacturers the chance to correct their course on the path to eventual production."
The quarterly study is the pulse of market readiness and acceptance for self-driving and battery-electric vehicles, as seen through the eyes of consumers and industry experts. Sentiment is segmented into three categories: low (0-40), neutral (41-60) and positive (61-100). J.D. Power is joined by global survey software company SurveyMonkey to conduct the study in which more than 5,000 consumers and industry experts were polled about self-driving vehicles and another 5,000 were polled about battery-electric vehicles.
Following are key findings about self-driving vehicles:
-- Mobility Confidence Index remains low for self-driving vehicles: With an
overall score of 36, consumers continue to have a low level of
confidence about the future of self-driving vehicles. All of the
attributes analyzed in the study largely remain flat compared to Q2
results. Scoring lowest among the self-driving attributes are: comfort
riding in a self-driving vehicle; and comfort with self-driving public
transit.
-- Men more comfortable with self-driving technology than women: More than
two-thirds (68%) of consumers say they have little to no knowledge about
self-driving vehicle technology and well over half say they are unlikely
to ever purchase or lease a self-driving vehicle. Only half as many
women express having a "great deal" or "fair amount" of knowledge on the
subject compared with men and they're also less likely than men to
purchase or lease a self-driving vehicle. Only half as many women say
they are comfortable with each self-driving scenario studied: being on
the road with others using self-driving vehicles; riding in self-driving
vehicles; self-driving public transit; and goods being transported in
self-driving commercial vehicles.
-- Self-driving challenges: Industry experts say that perfecting
self-driving technology is proving more challenging than originally
thought. One industry expert noted, "Tech and automotive companies
continue to learn how difficult the problem really is. There have been
several announced delays." Gaining consumer trust and acceptance will be
a critical strategic lever to determining success.
-- Job displacement and computer error are perceived disadvantages:
Consumers are still more hopeful than worried about the overall benefit
of technology in their lives, but 38% remain unexcited about any
self-driving technology. Consumers are most worried about tech
failures/errors (71%). One consumer said, "History has shown that past
technological advances, such as electrical or computer, fail with time
and are too costly to repair." Others voiced concerns about job losses:
"It's going to put a LOT of people out of jobs and cause a lot of
economic repercussions."
Following are key findings about battery-electric vehicles:
-- Mobility Confidence Index remains neutral for battery-electric vehicles:
With an overall score of 55, confidence about the future of
battery-electric vehicles remains neutral. Attributes scoring lowest
include likelihood of purchasing an electric vehicle and reliability of
electric compared to gas-powered vehicles.
-- Challenges for acceptance: Industry experts say that consumer
affordability and trust remain the top challenges for battery-electric
vehicle acceptance. They also recognize that the cost to produce
electric vehicles and the development of a charging infrastructure are
critical challenges that must be addressed.
-- EV ownership affects battery-electric vehicle purchase consideration:
More than half (60%) of those who have owned a battery-electric vehicle
are "extremely likely" or "very likely" to repurchase a similar vehicle.
Conversely, 59% of those who have never been in such a vehicle are "not
too likely" or "not at all likely" to purchase or lease one. However,
more than three-fourths (77% of owners and 76% with no experience) say
tax credits or subsidies would factor into their purchase decision. It
should also be noted that a mere 4% of respondents have owned a
battery-electric vehicle while 68% say they have never been in a
battery-electric vehicle.
-- Pros and cons: Nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents say
battery-electric vehicles are better for the environment. Half of
respondents also believe the cost of charging compared with the cost of
gas will be advantageous. "Gas is expensive, wasteful of [the]
environment, [and] leaves our country dependent on foreign powers," said
one consumer. However, 65% are concerned about the availability of
charging stations, with one respondent saying, "Charging stations are
still not readily available. Charging technology should allow hookup
when you get home, with energy draw during off peak hours." More than
half (60%) of respondents are concerned about driving range, with 76% of
those with no battery-electric vehicle experience expecting vehicles to
have a driving range of 300 miles or more.
"Charging, cost and range are unavoidable challenges for battery-electric vehicles when compared with traditional vehicles," Kolodge added. "Automakers should focus as much on developing some overriding advantages instead of just working on minimizing the disadvantages. Consumers don't know what to ask for but there are all sorts of possibilities. The first automakers to solve this will have a huge advantage."
See the online press release at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2019210.
J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power has offices serving North America, South America, Asia Pacific and Europe.
SurveyMonkey is a leading global survey software company on a mission to power the curious. The company's People Powered Data platform empowers over 17 million active users to measure and understand feedback from employees, customers, website and app users, and the market. SurveyMonkey's products, enterprise solutions and integrations enable 335,000+ organizations to solve daily challenges, from delivering better customer experiences to increasing employee retention. With SurveyMonkey, organizations around the world can transform feedback into business intelligence that drives growth and innovation.
Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler, J.D. Power; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com
Shane Smith; East Coast; 424-903-3665; ssmith@pacificcommunicationsgroup.com
Sandra Gharib, SurveyMonkey; sandrag@surveymonkey.com
About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info
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